


Not Alone

by bucketofbarnes



Series: Shiro Week 2016 [3]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Gen, Reunions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-20
Updated: 2017-01-20
Packaged: 2018-09-18 17:04:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9394808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bucketofbarnes/pseuds/bucketofbarnes
Summary: The Paladins finally find the Holts.Or: A peek into Shiro's head during a long awaited reunion.Fill for Shiro Week 2016. Day 4 - Friendship/Relationships





	

**Author's Note:**

> Yes I know this is extremely late, but due to unforeseen circumstances I was unable to finish this. It's still not quite what I wanted it to be but I'm sick of looking at it by now so here you go!

When the Paladins finally found the Holts, there was barely a dry eye in the vicinity as they clung to each other for what seemed like hours. A family reunited, something that felt like a rare sight in the middle of all of the chaos. Sam and Matt were in the middle of a full blown lecture. Pidge had come all this way into space? _What had she been thinking?!_ She could have been hurt, _or worse!_ _And what was this about flying lions!?_

Pidge didn’t seem to care. She was just happy that she had her family back at last.

Shiro was just as happy to see the family reunited, but then he saw Matt’s leg shake, saw him stumble before he caught himself. It was barely noticeable to most people, but Shiro could feel the smile drop off of his face as he stared at his leg. That was the leg that he had hit, the one that had sent Matt crashing to the floor with such fear in his eyes as he had stared up at his friend that looked like he had gone feral with blood lust. Matt hadn’t healed fine at all. What kind of damage had he done? He hadn’t been experienced with swords at the time, and had just swiped out, hoping to God that he didn’t cut too deep. What if he had? _What if he had damaged Matt’s leg permanently?_

He started backing away slowly, unnoticed. He didn’t belong here, in the middle of this happy reunion. _This was all his fault_. He hadn’t been able to protect them on Kerberos, on the Galra ships, and his attempts had only hurt Matt enough that the signs were still there even after well over a year. In the process of backing away, his heel hit a piece of mining equipment and it overbalanced, hitting the ground with a loud crash that seemed to echo. Shiro froze as everyone turned to look in his direction, including the Holts. Matt and Sam seemed just as frozen. The area was silent.

Though he looked calm enough on the outside, Shiro was trying desperately not to panic on the inside. They were staring at him, but was that look accusing? Angry? Matt slipped out of Pidge’s hold as if his body was on autopilot and began to walk towards him. Shiro’s eyes flicked towards his leg again as he limped towards him before he stared at the floor, unable to bring himself to look at Matt any more. He was such a damn _coward_.

He heard Matt come to a halt in front of him, but was still unable to look at him. A hand reached out to touch his chin and lift his head up and he shut his eyes tightly. The hand stayed in place as he shook where he stood, and he knew Matt was staring right at him.

“Shiro, look at me.” He heard Matt demand. Most of him protested, perhaps childishly thinking that if he didn’t look at him, then Matt wouldn’t be able to see him either. But the rest of him chastised him, telling him that after what he had done Matt deserved anything he asked for. Any punishment that Matt wanted to deal out, he had earned, and he should take it.

He forced himself to open his eyes and look at Matt. It was so good to see him alive, even with dust from the mines on his face and matting his hair, a few faint scars on his face where before there had been none. But more than anything, Shiro was confused. Matt didn’t look angry. He looked..... _worried. Relieved. But why?_

Matt stared at him for a moment longer, “It _is_ you!” He leapt towards him and he braced himself for an attack, fully prepared to take it. He froze when arms wrapped around him in a tight hug instead.

“I’m so sorry!” Matt practically wailed into his shoulder, “If I had just been braver. I’m so sorry Shiro!” Shiro’s mind was spinning as he listened to Matt apologising. Why was he apologising to him? This wasn’t Matt’s fault, it was _his._

“Matt, no! It wasn’t your fault, it was-” 

“If the next words out of your mouth are that it was your fault, I’m not going to be happy Takashi Shirogane!” Commander Holt was suddenly next to them, before he braced a hand on Shiro’s shoulder and looked him right in the eyes. “You saved my son. Don’t you dare apologise for that young man, do you understand me?”

Shiro was only able to nod, as tears began to well in his eyes. Sam’s eyes softened at this, and he pulled the both of them into a hug. A hug that felt like the ones that he had used to get from his own father when he was small. Big, warm and safe. He felt a small figure come up behind him and latch onto him too, and he knew that it was Pidge. He buried his head in Matt’s shoulder as tears slid down his face, and it was like a huge weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. They were alive now, they were safe, and they didn’t hate him. It didn't fix everything, but it was far, _far_ more than he had ever dared to hope for.

**Author's Note:**

> You can see more Voltron content, or make requests at my tumblr: bucketofbarnes.tumblr.com/


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